Time
by Exposure
Summary: My first try at non-academic writing. Constructive criticism would be useful. Abby and McGee revisit old feelings. Will they? Won't they? McAbby, naturally.
1. Chapter 1

Abby stood up and surveyed her lab; she was in the middle of picking through some evidence relating to a money-laundering scheme. It wasn't an overly important case, but there was a considerable time crunch. The pressure was on, Abby needed to find something solid that the team could use to implicate their prime suspect. Though she usually enjoyed the methodical nature of the work, today nothing could stimulate her. She was tired. Even though she blamed this feeling on physical exhaustion, deep down she knew that it was her lifestyle, not her body that had roused this feeling inside her. She inhaled deeply and tried to compose herself. The silence between music tracks had broken her concentration and she needed a break.

McGee replaced his toothbrush in its holder and filled his glass with water. He looked at himself from multiple angles in the mirror, and decided that he would put off showering until the morning. He had been staring at a computer screen all day at work, desperately trying to manipulate the tables and charts he had been assigned, and then he had played quite a few hours of video games at home. He had felt his eyes getting tired and puffy, so he resolved to go to bed a little earlier than usual. As he pulled out the shirt he would be wearing tomorrow, he sighed and wondered how he had strayed from his original intention of working on his writing this evening. His publisher was squeezing him for new material, but he was struggling to produce anything, he needed a break.

Everyone she knew had left the building several hours ago, there were only a few solitary interns working late into the night, desperate for acknowledgement and the ever-elusive pat on the back from their superior. Abby smiled, they reminded her of the way she used to be. Sure, she was still the same animated individual she was then, but something had changed and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She felt content in her life, she enjoyed her work and the company of her friends, but she had to admit to herself that she had been feeling alone. The feeling had gathered weight during the last few years, she kept thinking she had found a good match, but when her lovers were put to the test, they failed her. And if they didn't fail her, then she pushed them away. Too many times she had spurned guys and regretted it at a later date. Even her brief dalliance with McGee had proved itself ill fated. She loved McGee, she couldn't deny it, but the way she loved him was…different. He accepted her, listened to her talk about nothing and most importantly; he fed her geek! But they were co-workers, which brought it's own technical complications and even more importantly, they were friends. Friendship like theirs was something Abby knew was rare and she was loathed to complicate it further than they already had. She broke into a grin and softly giggled; the permanent mark he had gotten to impress her, never failed to raise a smile.

McGee flipped on the television and flopped onto the bed. He reached for the remote and casually cycled through the stations. Nothing immediately caught his eye, so he let it rest on a news programme. He didn't concentrate fully on the television, he found his mind wandering. Thoughts of work couldn't help but enter his mind; he had been working hard for the past couple of days and was having trouble turning his brain off. He thought about the other members of the team, he wondered if they had the same problem. Tony and Ziva had years of experience on him, they probably were getting used to it by now. They at least knew how to occupy themselves with other things, so their thoughts were pushed to the side. And he knew Gibbs was a pro at such measures. But what about Abby? In some ways he was closer to her than anyone else he worked with. He knew that sometimes all the bad, corrupt people they met in their line of work bothered her. But she had her music and her friends to distract her. Sometimes McGee wished he could protect her from it all, she was so delicate and sensitive. When McGee discovered this side to her, his male protective gene had gone into overdrive, even though he didn't dare to air it in public. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing her inimitable spirit crushed. A wry smile crept across his face when he thought of the times they had been together.

Abby punched in the numbers for her usual, and the machine dispensed the candy on cue. She unwrapped the bar and sat herself down on the floor by the side of the vending machine. She sat with her legs splayed right out in front of her, just listening to the gentle hum of the building. She felt at home here, she felt at peace. This was her home, they were her friends. Eventually her mind drifted back to her work, she had to get back to it. She picked herself up from the floor and headed for the elevator.

Once she got back to her lab, she still found herself with a block. She was stuck on this case and in desperate need of new ideas. In a spark of inspiration, she logged into her instant messaging program. "Maybe he'll still be awake." She thought to herself. Typing out her message and hitting the enter key, she hoped he would be home to respond. Maybe he would be out on a date or something? Abby shuddered; the idea of Tim inflicting someone else with his 'first date' patter was not good. He was a nice guy, granted, but he hardly had a way with women. Nobody deserved to hear the same terrible, stilted conversation that she had, it was positively torturous. Thank goodness she had managed to get him talking about the data recovery work he was doing for MTAC. Hardly good first date conversation, but better than hackneyed chatter about the weather that she never saw from her lab.

His eyes were getting heavy and he was slowly drifting off to sleep, when he heard the beep from his laptop. Kneading his temples, McGee stood up. "Was it so much to ask, for one night of peace?" he muttered. Flipping open the cover of the laptop, he glanced at the screen. It was a contact from work, probably one of the team with some technical question for him, he surmised. Sighing, at the thought of turning his brain on again, he pulled up the conversation.

_Abby: Still alive, McGee?_

Abby? He found his face breaking into a slight smile. If he had to be bugged by one of the team, at this time of the night, at least it was Abby.

_Tim: Just about, Abs. Got a problem?_

_Abby: No…but yes._

_Tim: Well, what's your not-problem?_

_Abby: I'm just kinda stuck._

_Tim: Stuck on the case, you mean?_

_Abby: Kinda, I just need to think of a new direction, I think._

_McGee: Well, what have you got so far?_

_Abby: Ugh, stop drilling me with questions McGee!_

_Tim: I am the one who got up and answered your little distress call here._

_Abby: I know, I know, I'm sorry. I think what I really wanted was a break from the case. Were you asleep?_

_Tim: Not really._

_Abby: So you were then…_

_Abby: Sorry I woke you, you should've just ignored the msg. It's not that important._

_Tim: It's ok, I'm here now. What would you like to talk about instead?_

_Abby: Enough with the questions already!_

_Tim: Sorry Abs, I'm just pretty tired right now, which does not make for good conversation._

_Tim: So… What did you have for dinner?_

_Abby: What a very McGee question._

_Abby: FYI, I had a burrito. How about you?_

She looked at the empty Caf-Pow on her desk, she knew how McGee would complain that she didn't look after herself enough, if she told the truth. Just a little white lie didn't hurt anyone.

_Tim: Just some pasta, nothing special._

He looked at the empty pizza box, he knew she would laugh at him for having pizza…again. But at least they were both Italian, not too far from the truth.

_Abby: Did you eat out, where did you go and more importantly, who with?_

_Tim: Nope I ate at home. Why did you think I went out?_

_Abby: Just that you were never that great at cooking. I figured it had to be a restaurant, so it'd be a date or something._

_Tim: Hey, I can cook! A little. No date necessary._

_Abby: No date necessary? You off the ladies McGee?!_

_Tim: No, no._

_Tim: I mean, I've been dating but you know…no one special._

He felt guilty lying to her, but he didn't want her to think he was some sort of loser. He was just going through a dry spell. One date in the last 3 months wasn't stretching the truth too much, was it? But considering that the high point of the date had been him signing a book. For her mother. Maybe it was.

_Abby: Yeah, me too. Like you said, some dates but no one special._

She had no idea why she was doing this, why she felt the need to 'keep up' with him. Surely the last thing that she should feel the need to do is impress Tim. He knew her and had seen everything before, this was just ridiculous.

_Tim: I've been so busy with work and my writing. It's hard to find time._

_Abby: Yeah, exactly, we're just really busy people._

_Tim: Really lonely busy people._

The instant he sent the message, he regretted it. Great, now she was going to think he was weird. It was probably too late now to add some sort of smiley-face to lighten the comment up.

_Abby: Speak for yourself McGee!_

The instant she sent that message, she regretted it. It was quite harsh and not particularly true. Sometimes Abby felt so desperately lonely, that she wanted to reach out to someone. Like she was now. Reaching out to Tim wasn't a bad thing, he was always so sweet and loyal, so understanding. Thinking back on all the times she had laid her head on his chest and unloaded all her problems, Abby smiled, she was glad to have him in her life.

_Tim: I just meant, that here we are late at night talking to each other online. Hardly what 'normal' people are doing tonight…_

_Abby: Ok, so you have a point. But then we're hardly normal people, are we?_

_Tim: I suppose. Normal people don't really exist though, do they?_

_Abby: AHH!! Thank you McGee! I need to use different frameworks, something more irregular, not just the standard outlines._

_Abby: Ok, now I have a million things to do. Gonna have to run, or I won't get any sleep tonight._

_Tim: Glad to be of service._

_Abby: Thank you sooo much McGee! Love you! :)_

_Abby has signed off._

A small sigh escaped from McGee, and he slowly typed out 'I love you too.' He stared at the words on his screen for some time, knowing that this was one thing he could never write; then pressed delete.


	2. Chapter 2

Working together in abby's lab

McGee arrived at work early, as usual. He pulled his car into a parking spot, turned off his engine and picked his jacket up from the empty passenger seat. Today he would have preferred someone to be with him on the drive to work, to have someone to make small talk and grab breakfast with. Heck, even Tony would have been good! Staring at the Caf-Pow resting on his dash, bought especially for her, he knew there was still something there. Although he realised there was no point in verbalising his feelings, she was well and truly over him.

At the time, finishing their relationship was fairly easy, but weeks later McGee had begun to feel the regret building. Girls had come and gone, but the regret remained. Wonderful women had come his way, eager for commitments, weddings, babies and so much more. The only problem was, no matter how hard he tried, he didn't love them, not at all. Abby had taken up all the space in his head and was refusing to move out. As hard as he tried to suppress his feelings, she always took over. Getting out of his car, he realised that talking to her last night had brought all of this back to the surface and left him confused yet numb. He frowned, picked up her cup and slammed his car door.

Abby leant back in Tony's chair, stretched out her arms and yawned; it had been a late night for her. She had only gone home for a few hours of sleep and a change of clothes, then come straight back to work. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, she couldn't wait to relate the information she had found last night to Gibbs. She owed McGee for inspiring her, she wished she had picked up something for him on the way to work. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a familiar face from across the room.

"Morning Ziva." Abby chirped, seeing her colleague walking through the Bullpen. Tony was trailing behind their resident Mosaad agent, probably antagonising her, Abby imagined.

"I'm just curious…" Tony whined, "But what about if it was totally dark, and you couldn't tell the difference?"

"Good Morning Abby," Ziva replied, ignoring Tony completely, "how are you today?"

"Awesome, I got something from the marked bill." Abby said, slurping on the last of her Caf-Pow.

"Hey Abs," Tony said sweetly, "Don't suppose you know any of Ziva's sexy Mosaad secrets, do you?"

"Sorry Tony, I've got nothing, but I do happen to know that…" Abby stopped mid-sentence and bolted upright in her seat. "McGee! Perfect timing!"

She bounded towards him as he exited the elevator, grabbed the cup from his hand and immediately began sipping on the straw. Tony took this opportunity to reclaim his seat, so when Abby and McGee got to the desks, McGee paused, silently offering Abby his seat, but she instead she perched on the edge of his desk. _What a perfect metaphor; she wants nothing I have,_ he thought. So McGee took his usual seat at his desk, hanging his jacket over the back of his chair. As the rest of the group chattered back and forth, he couldn't help but notice Abby's thigh draped across part of his desk. She was wearing a black pleated skirt and black thigh highs with tiny red bows at their tops. McGee remembered that Abby had quite the collection of stockings: bows, hearts, spiders, skulls and crossbones…

"McGee!" Abby yelled, "I'm up here!"

"Sorry…I…uhh…I like your outfit." McGee stammered.

"Smooth, McGee." Said Gibbs, as he strode up behind them. "Got something Abs?"

"Of course Gibbs," Abby chirped, getting up and pacing the floor, "I found out that the particular ink, used on the marked bill, is only found in one processing plant that we know of." She whirled round to face Gibbs again, "So, find out who has access to the plant and you'll have your guy…or girl."

"Good work Abs," Gibbs replied, "Anyone else?"

The group fell silent. Gibbs rolled his eyes and began, "We are focusing on Petty Officers Barnett, Ramirez and Davidson, they're complying fully with questioning and searches, but I want enough to stop them being deployed tomorrow morning."

"Abby, McGee," Gibbs barked, pointing at a pile of three laptops on McGee's desk, "I want everything you can find on the Petty Officers, on my desk in four hours."

"On it, Boss." Replied McGee, reaching over to pick up the three laptops. He gathered them in his arms, leaving his bickering colleagues behind and headed towards the elevator, with Abby tottering in tow.


	3. Chapter 3

Odd things I have deleted keep reappearing once I upload my story, so if there seem to be any rogue sentences, please ignore them. Also insomnia struck, so I'm tired, so my grammar may be bad. Poor McGee, he is quite angsty so far, I think I'm projecting ;) As for if Abby and McGee will be together or apart, I'm torn…

I would also like to say that I really appreciate everyone taking the time and effort to review and/or read my story. Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement :)

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Once inside the elevator, Abby punched the button for their floor. McGee guessed they would be working in her lab all day now, there was no way they could comb through all the information on these computers in just four hours. He would have preferred to be upstairs today, interrogating people and making calls with Tony and Ziva. Today would have been a good day for burying himself in his work and suppressing the feelings that had been reawakened, the very last thing that he needed was to work with Abby, the object of all his confusions. Quickly glancing at her, he wondered how someone so beautiful could sometimes make him so sad.

Tapping her foot with impatience, Abby gulped down some more of her Caf-Pow, and turned to smile at him. He seemed slightly down today, maybe he was having trouble with his writing, he always looked grumpy when he had writer's block.

"So, McGee, I was thinking that since they surrendered their laptops to us voluntarily, there must be nothing on them, right?" Abby said.

"I guess not, so it probably wouldn't even take four hours for you to do it on your own…" He replied.

"Slow down McGee, you're thinking way too simple," She interjected, "all that means, is that they think they wiped everything." "So what we should be looking for is what they used to hide stuff or wipe their systems, then work back from there, once we know what we're up against."

Abby beamed at her quick display of logic, that had probably saved them at least an hour of pointless searches, but McGee just made a faint sound in agreement and nodded. Furrowing her brow, Abby hoped she didn't have to deal with a despondent Tim all day, hopefully he would perk up once they got to work. She hated him looking so sad, it reminded her too much of the times she'd hurt him. Her smile momentarily faded, when she thought of the conversations that had led to their parting. The way he looked so crushed, so disappointed. Of course, she had never meant to hurt him, but it had to happen. He wanted too much of her, more than she was prepared to give away.

The elevator door opened out onto the lab, and they made their way over to her large desk. McGee dumped the laptops on the desk and proceeded to connect them to a variety of wires. As she bounced over to turn on her music, he winced, preparing himself for the assault on his ears. Much to his relief The Cure started up, some of her less… aggressive music. He took the seat at the furthest end of the desk, hoping she would notice and take the seat at the opposite end. He just couldn't deal with being close to her right now, he was trying to break away, trying to forget.

She hoped he appreciated her choice of music today, feeling sorry for him, she'd chosen some of her most relaxed music, 'Operation Cheer Up McGee' was underway! Together they talked about some of the ways they were going to try to extract the precious information from the laptops; the technology they would use and the timeframes they would work to. After that Abby sat herself down in her chair and then proceeded to wheel it over to where he was sitting. She hoped that they would start up a conversation, but he seemed in no mood to talk today. Desperate to see a smile on his face, she gestured towards him with her Caf-Pow, but he declined with a shake of his head. She sighed and looked down.

"Ok, I give in, what is up with you today McGee?" she asked.

"Me? Oh…uhh…nothing, I just didn't get enough sleep." He answered meekly.

"My bad, I'm sorry I kept you up last night," she started, "but that reminds me, I really wanted to say thanks for helping me out."

"Uhh, Abs, I didn't really _do_ anything." He replied.

"But you did, and if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had my little breakthrough with the ink." She said, smiling at him.

He turned and looked at her, she had a striking smile. Waking up to that smile used to make him so happy. She was so beautiful to him, she was certainly his weakness, his vice. He struggled to resist her at the best of times, and now here she was, looking expectantly at him, desperately wanting him to just smile. Loathed to disappoint her, he slowly smiled back.

"Yay McGee! You're back!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

Her embrace had surprised him. He paused, wondering whether to return the affection or not. She was resting her chin on his shoulder, she was so warm and comforting. Wanting this so badly and unable to refrain any longer, he hugged her back. He felt her warm breath on his neck and inhaled her sweet scent; incense, a perfume, her fruity shampoo and something vaguely chemical, all so familiar and uniquely hers. Everything came rushing back; holding hands, kissing her, stroking her hair and the ice cream, oh boy, the ice cream…

When he held her, she felt so safe, he was so familiar and gentle. She missed it, she missed his gentle touch and kind eyes. Sometimes she wished she could turn back time, their relationship had made them both so happy. All the wonderful times she remembered; their little jokes, cuddling, the coffin and the ice cream, oh boy, the ice cream…

McGee was the one to break the embrace, he was trying to forget all this, he should have never indulged himself anyway. But he cared for her so deeply and right now, he yearned to be close to her. Maybe subconsciously she felt it too? Sometimes he kidded himself, that one day she would realise the way she felt and come to him, but he'd accepted that probably wasn't going to happen any time soon. He wondered if she knew the affect all the teasing and flirtation had on him.

Some of her old feelings for Tim had been reawakened. Maybe he would come over to her place tonight, they could watch a movie and see how things go from there. That's what usually happened between them now, a night here and there, a casual outlet for their feelings. Sure, she couldn't stay too long, it wasn't fair to give him the wrong impression, but at least she could make him smile for one night. In the mornings, she often felt angry with herself when she saw his poorly disguised, wounded expression; when she broke the news that he couldn't take her for breakfast.

Abby sat close to him, looking at him with her big, expressive eyes. He tried to avoid her gaze, choosing instead to look at the computer screen. He knew his eyes would have betrayed him. Neither of them spoke, but she kept on staring at him. McGee wondered if he should start typing, or say something to her, but his mind was blank, he couldn't think of a word to say. When he saw her opening her mouth, relief washed over him, he was so glad she was going to diffuse this awkward situation.

"Stay with me tonight." She said.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks again for all the comments guys. I have finally decided where I'm going with this! The suggestions really helped. Hope you all enjoy :)_

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McGee froze, this was the very last thing he had expected. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. This was exactly what he did, and yet did not want to hear. She just sat there expectantly, looking at him flirtatiously from under her lashes. He knew what she was trying to do, attempting to melt his resistance, trying to win him over. If he wasn't careful, she would break his resolve and he would be right back where he started. He knew they couldn't be good friends if he didn't try and get over her, to save their friendship he needed to stand up to her.

"I…I can't do that Abs." He muttered.

"Aww, come on Timmy," she said, reaching over and laying her hand on his forearm, "just you and me, hanging out, no pressure."

"Abby, I can't." He replied.

She narrowed her eyes and looked questioningly at him. This was a side of Tim, she had not missed. Sometimes he could be so stubborn when he had decided against something, there was almost no point in pushing him. Well, no point in anyone but her pushing him…

"C'mon McGee, it's just one night," she continued, her eyes flickering devilishly, "we can get ice cream…"

He swallowed nervously, this was going to be hard, he _really_ liked ice cream.

"I'd just rather spend tonight alone Abs." He said, looking back towards his screen.

McGee began typing, trying desperately to concentrate on something that wasn't her. He was secretly pleased that she still wanted him, even if it was only for one night. However, he knew that it was little teases like this that had caused him to be so hung up on her, these were the moments that he had to be strong. After a short pause, she withdrew her hand from his arm. Perhaps his rejection had stung her? No, this was Abby, she didn't need him like he needed her. This minor inconvenience wouldn't distress her.

It was perfectly clear that the conversation was over, so Abby wheeled her chair away to the other end of her desk. She began pottering around with some evidence bags and result read-outs, trying to look busy and with purpose. Anything to make it look as if she wasn't troubled by his rejection. This was definitely a strange situation; normally Tim would have taken the opportunity. They would have gone home together, had pizza, watched a movie and probably ended up in bed together. She always looked forward to these nights, they were almost perfect. The only awkward part was the morning, neither of them knew how to act or what to say, all of Tim's confidence, and her warmth, had disappeared.

Focusing her attention back on one of the laptops, she selected a new scan to run. She glanced over at him, he was staring intently at the screen in a surprising display of concentration. Usually unflappable, she was becoming frustrated, why had this offended her so much? The last time she had made such an offer, he had taken some convincing, but she had managed to change his mind. Somehow she knew that this time was different, he was firm and sure of himself, something he didn't usually roll out unless it was completely necessary. He really didn't want her. From their conversation last night, she knew he wasn't seeing anyone, so it had to be something else. Abby searched her mind for an explanation that would reassure her, but she failed. An unpleasant feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach, nausea was creeping in. Her thoughts were disorganised and flowing fast. He didn't want her. She hadn't changed, he had. What if things could never be the same again? He didn't sound like he usually did. She hated this new hard edge he was showing her today, where had it come from?

The phone gave a sharp ring, shattering her thoughts. She got up from her chair and walked over to the phone. Checking the display, she noticed it was Tony, so she picked up and waited for the voice to kick in.

"Abs?" Tony ventured.

"Hey Tony!" she replied, trying to sound as upbeat as possible. She certainly didn't want Tim to think he had got to her.

"How ya doing?" Tony said.

"Good…good, hopefully we'll, I mean _I'll_, get something good from the next scan I'm running. I'm pretty sure if they're hiding something, it'll be in there. You?" She babbled, attempting to seem her usual smart and confident self.

"Not so good. Turns out we have to make a lot more calls than we thought, so I'm going to have to get the Probie back. Unless you need him down there for…something?" Tony replied, laughing at his own effort at innuendo.

"Don't worry, I can cope without him…" she barbed, looking pointedly in McGee's direction.

"Ok then, send my McGeek back ASAP. See ya later Abs" Tony said, before hanging up.

He heard her saying her goodbye to Tony and looked at her for an explanation of the call.

"Tony says 'send my McGeek back ASAP'. So I guess I'm gonna have to cut you loose." She said flatly.

She was definitely angry with him, it was subtle, but it was there. He didn't think a time would come that he would rather work with Tony over Abby, but here it was. Anything was better than working with her right now, given the mood she was in. He started packing away the laptop he was working on and putting on his jacket.

"I'm just going to take this with me," he said, motioning towards the laptop, "I think I can probably play around with it a little more while I'm upstairs."

She didn't look up from her screen, she didn't even say a word.

"Ok, I guess I'll…uhh…see you another time." He said, getting up and walking towards the elevator.

"McGee…" she started.

"Yes?" He replied, turning back around to face her.

"…I…umm…don't forget to use the new Recovery Agent, the old one is…umm…old." She said, quickly looking back down at her screen.

Looking quizzically at her, he nodded and stepped inside the elevator. Why on earth had she said that? Of course he knew they were using a new Recovery Agent, he was the one that had suggested it. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever understand women, especially Abby. The more he thought about it, the more angry he was with her. She had no right to be annoyed with him, all he was trying to do was make a break between them. He just wanted to be able to move on with his life, to stop being at her beck and call all the time. Why did she insist on making this so hard for him? She had to accept that he wasn't going to brood over her forever, maybe this was what she had needed to hear. She had to know that, sometimes, he wasn't going to be there.

Down in her lab, Abby turned on some of her loudest, angriest music. She paced around, running things over in her head. He was so full of crap, 'I'll always be there for you.' That's what he had said, the last time they were together. I guess he meant he would only be there when it suited him! She flopped down onto her chair and let out a groan. Why was this even getting to her? Guys often asked her out, she could have had her pick of boyfriends, why was Tim such a loss to her? Maybe it was because she had always thought, that if she were ever ready to settle down, it would be someone like Tim. Someone with kind eyes and a good heart. But it couldn't be Tim, they had already tried and failed. It was her fault they had broken down and it was something she doubted she could ever fix. It dawned on her that they could never be together again. And she was stunned when she realised, that this broke her heart.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks again for the reviews guys! Enjoy :)_

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McGee used his fork to prod the food in the tiny plastic tray and lamented the fact microwaveable food always tasted like rubber. He tossed the tub down on the table and frowned as he touched gently at his face. They had a break in the case late in the afternoon and travelled to confront the culprits at the base. Unfortunately one of the guilty three hadn't taken his arrest too well and had gotten in a lucky punch. Once they had gotten back to Headquarters Ducky had informed him that his cheekbone was still intact, which was about the only good thing to happen to him today.

She pulled on her red felt cape and applied another coat of her trademark red lipstick in front of the mirror. Sitting down on the couch, she began the long task of buckling up her black knee high boots. There was no way she was spending tonight moping in her apartment. So she had called a few friends and made arrangements to meet them at one of their favourite haunts, they always knew how to make her forget her troubles. Getting out of this funk was her objective tonight; she didn't want to think about work, Tim or being alone. Seeing the cab pull up outside her building, she quickly locked her door and bounded downstairs. Tonight, she was going to be wild.

Sitting alone in his apartment, his thoughts quickly turned to Abby. He wondered how she would be occupying herself tonight. No doubt, she would be going out with her friends; laughing, joking and being generally outrageous. He felt a twinge of jealousy. Maybe it would have been better if he had let her come over tonight. Then she wouldn't be mad at him and he wouldn't be alone, nursing a bruised cheekbone. Sighing, he lay down on the couch and reached for his glass of milk. Bar an emergency call out, he would be able to catch up on some sleep tonight, and tomorrow was Saturday, so at least he could get a lie in. A whole weekend apart might calm Abby down and let him get the space he desperately needed.

She opened the cab door and slid inside the car. The cab driver turned around and looked her up and down, raising his eyebrow in confusion. Abby, being used to this sort of reaction, wondered whether he would actually say anything about her appearance, the rude ones did. However, this particular time, the driver simply turned back around, shook his head and asked her where she wanted to go. After she responded and gave him a few extra directions, she leaned back in the seat. As much as she wished they wouldn't, her thoughts quickly turned to Tim. If only he hadn't refused her today, then they could have just stayed in the same old routine and all these feelings inside her wouldn't have been an issue. She hated having to address something like this within herself. Tim had been in her thoughts all day and she wished she could think of a way to get him out. If she was honest with herself, she didn't feel like going out tonight, she felt like brooding alone in her apartment. The feelings that had been awakened within her today were causing her to question so much about her life. Big things, important things, things that she wanted to avoid and ignore until they went away. Yet, she felt that if she did not challenge herself over this, she would lose everything. Her face contorted in surprise, and all at once, she knew what she had to do.

For a moment he thought he must have been dreaming, when he was woken by a familiar voice,

"You know, you should really lock your door McGee…" said the voice.

"Uhh…usually…before I go to bed…it was just…Abby?" He babbled, trying to focus on her.

Blinking at her from across the room, he watched as she just stood there. She didn't take a seat, she didn't say a word, she just stood there looking at him. He heaved himself upright on the couch and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He was tired and in no mood for any of her games.

"Abs, what are you doing here?" He eventually asked, sounding irritated.

She didn't reply.

"Look Abs, it's not that I don't want you here, it's just that I think we could use some space." He added.

Still she said nothing. McGee sighed, rubbed his eyes and stood up. There was nothing else for it, he was going to have to go over there and talk to her. A quick thought flashed through his head, he wondered if she was ok. Maybe something bad had happened to her tonight? Cautiously, he walked towards her.

"Abs… Abby…are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?" He probed, now within a few feet of her.

"Not one step closer McGee." She suddenly said.

Her eyes were fixed on him intently. He didn't know where else to look. If he was honest, she was beginning to scare him. Frozen on the spot, McGee raised his arms in surrender and waited for her to carry on.

"What happened to your face?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said, touching it instinctively, "just one of the Petty Officers we arrested, he didn't take it very well."

She slowly walked towards him. He watched her move, he watched as her hips swayed back and forth, exaggerating her sumptuous figure. The look on her face, so provocative. Soon she was within inches of him, and her hand reached up and softly stroked his swollen cheek. He placed his hand over hers.

"I can't take this Abby." He whispered, casting his eyes away from hers.

She didn't reply, instead she draped her arm around his neck, slowly stroking it with her fingers. He couldn't help but respond by wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand settling in the small of her back. _One last time_, he told himself. Maybe he could handle one last time? He couldn't resist; her beautiful eyes staring up at him, imploring him to kiss her, her body, warm, lithe and unique. For now, all his thoughts of space and time apart had disappeared. He wanted her so badly. So, when she leaned in and brushed her lips softly against his; he had no choice.

At first he didn't kiss her back, he stood there motionless. Abby kissed him harder and he finally began to respond, slowly at first, but with a growing enthusiasm. She could tell he had missed this as much as she had. Their passion for each other had always remained constant, it had never faded, and it was one thing they could always rely on. Still kissing him deeply, she reached for his shirt buttons and began undoing them. She wanted him so badly. So when he broke the kiss, she pouted. He looked hard into her eyes, not needing to say a word. She knew what he wanted to say, she knew the response he needed. She wasn't ready to give it to him, so she did the next best thing. She caressed his bare chest and said;

"Can I stay for breakfast?"


	6. Chapter 6

_I feel like I've been writing this chapter forever! I had a little writer's block and some real life things that I had to take care of. I changed the rating because I thought this chapter was going to go M, but I had a change of plan. I'm not sure if the next one will be M stuff or not, I'm not the type of girl that has a plan ;) Thanks again for all your kind reviews!_

* * *

He was the first to wake up. He turned over to see if she was still there. She was. This was somewhat to his surprise, as she was usually awake before him. Lying there peacefully sleeping, he felt a rush of affection for her. Impulsively he leant forward and kissed the back of her neck. As pleased as he was that she was still here, maybe it would have been better if she wasn't. Then he wouldn't have to deal with another disappointing and awkward situation. Bleary eyed, he looked at the clock, it was still early, he still had time. Dragging himself out of bed as quietly as he could, he reached for some pants and a shirt. Dressing quickly, he looked over his shoulder at her. She looked so perfect, her pale skin against the white cotton sheets. With her back turned to him, he could see her large tattoo peeking out of the top of the sheets. He loved her individuality, he knew no one else in the world would be waking up to someone like her. Smiling in spite of himself, he scooped up his keys and walked out of the apartment.

Eventually she awoke. It took her a few seconds to register where she was, but once she had got her bearings she rolled over, reaching for him. When she found the other side of the bed empty, she opened her eyes fully, searching the room for him. Propping herself up on her elbows, she frowned, he had let her sleep in.

"McGee!" she called, "you let me sleep late!"

Maybe he was taking a shower or, more likely, on his computer. Unable to stand lazing in bed any longer, she climbed out and walked over to his closet. Opening the doors, she revealed a plethora of well-ironed shirts. She shook her head at his neatness, pulled a shirt from its coathanger and slipped it over herself. Padding barefoot from the bedroom, she called his name over and over. At first she refused to believe it, but once she had checked every room, she was forced to face reality. He was gone.

Inside his car McGee was restless. He had tried listening to the radio since he had left his apartment, but almost immediately switched it off again. He was unable to concentrate on anything but her. She always left him feeling like this after one of their nights together. All of his thoughts were a disorganised mess. Was one night with her worth all this turmoil? _One last gesture_, he thought to himself, pulling into a parking spot and turning off his engine.

Where was he? Surely he knew she came here without her car, without even enough money for a cab. How was she going to get home? She had even considered sticking around a little longer than usual to spend some time with Tim, but now she just wanted to get out of here. Resolving to wait a little longer before calling him, she sat cross-legged on his couch, flipping through a few old computer magazines. Abby guessed that he was trying to make a point with his little disappearing act. His actions had enraged her, but deep down she felt more hurt than angry. She had thought they were going to try and talk things out, she couldn't believe that he was going to take this opportunity to settle an old score. Maybe she didn't know him at all…

Wiggling his keys in the lock, he struggled to open the door. He entered and kicked the door shut behind him. Abby was sat on his couch, reading an old magazine. He instantly knew he had offended her, as she didn't greet him or even turn and smile. He asked her if she was ok, but unfortunately the paper bag he was holding between his teeth made his words unintelligible. On hearing his muffled speech, Abby turned round, looking confused. McGee was concentrating hard, attempting to juggle a variety of bags and boxes.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

Opening his mouth to drop the paper bag onto the table, he motioned towards her with his left hand. Instantly breaking into a smile, she leapt from the couch and over towards him. She took the Caf-Pow from his hand and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey, be careful, you'll crush my pancakes." He warned.

She raised an eyebrow at him. He popped open the lid of one of the plastic cartons he had been carrying to reveal a stack of warm, sticky pancakes.

"See. Pancakes," he said, "I…uh…didn't know what to get. So if you don't want pancakes, there's donuts or breakfast burritos."

"You should have told me where you were going." She nagged, stretching to reach the bag of donuts.

"You were sleeping and you looked so happy, I didn't want to wake you." He replied.

She grinned, and thrust a burrito towards him. Taking it from her hand, he smiled; she was going to eat breakfast with him. She sauntered towards the couch with the bag of donuts in one hand and her trusty Caf-Pow in the other. As she walked away, he noticed the shirt she was wearing barely skimmed the top of her thighs. She turned around, once again raising an eyebrow at him. He had been caught. Fortunately all she said, still smiling, was;

"Bring the pancakes, Tim."

Dutifully he carried the pancakes over to the couch, where she was curled up in one of the corners. He passed them to her and took his seat at the other end of the couch and began consuming his burrito. After a few bites, he had gathered the nerve to talk to her.

"So, how do you like…breakfast?" He asked, staring down at his food.

Abby suspected this question was not as straightforward as it seemed. Since he had come back to the apartment with all that food, she was forced to forget all about her anger and her resolve to leave. How could she have ever thought he would leave her? This was Tim, he couldn't hurt her if he tried. In truth, she liked breakfast and she liked him. She just wasn't too comfortable with saying that yet. It had taken her years to realise how she felt about him, she didn't see any point rushing to the finish line now. So instead she crawled towards him, looked him straight in the eye and softly kissed him on the lips.

She tasted like sugar. It wasn't an answer but somehow it was ok. It was the best she could do. He understood.


	7. Chapter 7

_Real life got a bit hectic, no time to myself means no time to write! I've been trying to capture some of the awkwardness you get when starting a new(ish!) relationship. But still not M rated, hmm... _

_Also, thanks for the reviews, they're really helpful :)_

* * *

The morning sun shone into the room through the cracks in the blind. It was nearly noon, but she had little desire to move from his side. Lying next to him in bed, with just a sheet covering her naked body, she kissed his chest and then let her head rest there. He let out a small sigh and stroked her arm. Just being here next to him was so comforting to her. His chest was warm and the regularity with which it slowly rose and fell was reassuring. Never had she felt so safe and loved as when she was in bed with him. He seemed to be happy too, she suspected he didn't want this moment to end either. She had forgotten what it was like to laze in bed with someone; her desperation to not get attached had forced her to become something of a distant lover. But he had unlocked something inside her, and now she craved intimacy. Though telling him how she felt seemed impossible, so she tried the next best thing;

"Hey Tim, do you want to do something today?" she asked.

He was caught by surprise. Was this her equivalent of asking him on a date?

"I…uhh…suppose we can, was there anything you had in mind?" He replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Secretly he was ecstatic, this was what he had been waiting for. She wanted to spend time with him and this was not just any time, this was her precious weekend, her only free time! Maybe breakfast had worked to his advantage? Though deep down he suspected winning Abby's heart wouldn't be as easy as simply buying a bag of donuts. In any case, this was a start, it was something he could build on and he was elated. He wanted to pull her close and kiss here right now, but instead he tried to play it cool and carried on stroking her arm. Her skin was so soft and inviting, in part he didn't want to get up at all today, what he wanted most was to stay in bed with Abby right next to him.

She couldn't help but notice the small smile that had appeared on his face when she had asked him to spend the day with her. Her heart swelled to see him so excited about spending time together; she had thought that he wouldn't be prepared to give her another chance. She knew that he liked her, but had wondered if he would return to resisting her once the sex was over. Pleased by her progress, she reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, but we need to drop by my place on the way there." She said, picking up her panties from the floor. As she wriggled into them, she could feel his eyes on her.

"On the way where?" he questioned, pouting slightly as she put on her bra.

"We are going…" she said excitedly, pausing to pull the borrowed shirt over her head, "…to the supermarket!"

She turned to face him. The look on his face had betrayed him, he looked as if he had just been winded. The wounded puppy look that he did so well, made her melt, so she sat down on the bed next to him.

"You know, McGee, I've been taken to too many crappy movies and dinners," she began, laying her hand on his shoulder, "I don't want clichés and forced romance, I want it to just be about us, about the people we are and the way we feel about each other."

She had surprised herself with this sudden eruption of emotion. This syrupy side to her usually remained well hidden. Even though she was affectionate towards her friends and family, with him it somehow felt different. Matters of the heart were much more difficult than distributing hugs to trusted friends. Not that Tim wasn't a trusted friend, he was just…more than that. Precisely what he was to her, she hadn't figured out yet, but she had a feeling it would come in time. Embarrassed at her little outburst, she blushed slightly, but at least he had smiled back appreciatively and didn't mention her flushed cheeks. After a short silence he said,

"Abs, I…uhh…actually think I might possibly still have some of your clothes here." He spluttered.

"You kept those? Really?" She replied, wrinkling her nose in disbelief.

"I think they're in the bottom drawer." He said, nodding and motioning towards the set of drawers.

She opened the drawer and after a little searching, she found her clothes. Pulling them out, she couldn't help but notice they had been washed and pressed. The two shirts and pair of black combats would definitely do for this afternoon. She exchanged his oversized shirt for a fresh one of her own and picked up the combats, as she did, a pair of black lace-trimmed panties fell to the floor. She picked them up and turned to face him, with a smirk on her face and the panties dangling off her index finger.

"I meant to return them to you, but…it…well…I didn't think it was appropriate at work…" he said sheepishly.

They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before she broke into a broad grin and shook her head, whilst he laughed in spite of himself. Picking his pants up from the floor, she threw them in his direction and commanded him to "mush".

* * *

"Tim, Tim!" she called, waving some brightly coloured cereal boxes, "these are my favourite, we should get two boxes!"

Watching her buzzing from product to product, he hadn't really managed to speak to her yet on this 'date'. She was too busy telling him which variety of peanut butter was most delicious and how he had to try some new brand of chips. In some ways, he didn't really mind that she was talking non-stop at a great speed, because she was letting him in on the minutiae of her everyday life. Being highly interested in which peanut butter brand a girl likes must be a sigh of acute infatuation, he thought to himself. Everything she had to say was fascinating to him. Abby had been right, this was much better than some crumby, awkward candlelit meal. Especially for him, he knew he was terrible at making small talk and his shyness only exaggerated the problem. She was so smart and perceptive and for this he adored her. Suddenly she whirled round to face him,

"Are you even listening to me McGee?" she complained, noticing his daydreaming.

"Sorry, what?" he said, looking puzzled.

She rolled her eyes at him and walked towards the fresh produce aisle. Ok, so grocery shopping wasn't the most interesting date she could imagine. But at short notice on a Saturday afternoon, it was the best she could come up with. Being Abby, she naturally had a slight hidden agenda. She wanted to know what it felt like to do mundane things with Tim, she wanted to know what it was like to argue over who did the dishes and what they would buy for dinner. Though they had been together before, it had never been too serious, but now the idea intrigued her. She couldn't think of anyone else but him, she wanted to be with him every second of the day. She wanted to tell him everything and hold him close. After all this time, she had finally figured out what she wanted. She wanted him. She wanted to wake up with him every morning and go to bed with him every night, she wanted to be serious and committed and all those other grown-up things. However, she was nervous, she didn't really know how to go about being serious so she remained silent for now. Rousing herself from her reflections, she spied a large display at the end of an aisle.

"Awesome! Watermelons! Can we get one please?" she begged, tugging at his sleeve.

"If you really want to get a watermelon, I guess we can." He sighed, looking into the cart, wondering how much of the contents would end up in his trashcan.

Dashing over to the display of almost-ripe watermelons, Abby started searching through them to find one that met her standards. The quizzical look she used when examining the fruit reminded him of how she looked when she was working. All the times he had sat alongside her, both of them trying frantically to make an advance in a case. The face she pulled when she was concentrating was one of her most endearing; it was perhaps one of the first things he had noticed about her. He pushed the cart towards her, he figured she would need to deposit her chosen watermelon in it sometime soon. Finally she chose her fruit, hugging it with both arms, she walked towards him. They met somewhere in the middle of the aisle.

"What d'you think?" she asked, looking up from under her eyelashes and holding out the fruit for his inspection.

"It's a watermelon Abby, I think it'll do just fine." He said, giving her a smile whilst taking the watermelon and tucking it under his arm.

"Good, because I want everything to be perfect this time." She said quietly, not daring to look into his eyes.

"What do you mean Abs?" he asked, searching her face for an expression that would give away what she meant.

"I mean I want to really try this time. I want us to be together…you know…seriously." She murmured.

He whispered her name and a huge smile spread across his face, he had been waiting so long to hear this. In fact, he had been waiting so long he thought it would never happen. But she was finally doing it, right here in the fresh produce section, ever-unconventional Abby. He reached out and tilted her face up to meet his and they shared a brief, comforting kiss. A day that he thought would never come. Now here he was, kissing the woman he adored and holding a watermelon.


End file.
